


Snowflake Day 10: Again

by NRGmeta (NRGburst)



Series: Snowflake Day 10: Share your love for a trope, cliché, kink, motif, or theme [4]
Category: Anne of Green Gables (TV 1985) & Related Fandoms, The Queen's Gambit (TV)
Genre: Animated GIFs, Essays, F/M, Meta, Nonfiction, Rivals to Lovers, recs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 15:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30091527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NRGburst/pseuds/NRGmeta
Summary: Why I love Rivals to LoversOriginally posted on DW; archiving here for March Meta Matters 2021
Relationships: Beth Harmon/Benny Watts, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Series: Snowflake Day 10: Share your love for a trope, cliché, kink, motif, or theme [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665250
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13
Collections: March Meta Matters Challenge





	Snowflake Day 10: Again

**Challenge #10**  
**In your own space, write a love letter to Fandom in general, to a particular fandom, to a trope, a relationship, a character, creator, episode, or it could be your fandom friends. Share your love and squee as loud as you want to.**

  
  
Okay, I always do a Trope That I Love for this challenge, and this year I am going with _Rivals to Lovers._  
  
First of all, this trope is obviously derived from _Enemies to Lovers_ , but they have to actually be COMPETING AGAINST EACH OTHER IN SOMETHING to fit this trope _specifically._ And the thing that makes both of those tropes so utterly delicious is the simmering _tension_ between the characters, although Rivals to Lovers has a lot less murder/grievous bodily harm involved, usually. :P

The OG version of this in my fandom experience is Anne Shirley/Gilbert Blythe in _Anne of Green Gables:_ she wants the top grade and that annoyingly smart Blythe boy is NOT going to take it instead or she might actually _spontaneously combust_. Just look at her correct his mistake with sneering superiority in this set!

[x](https://clarkgriffon.tumblr.com/post/642222430094524416/anne-of-green-gables-the-sullivan-adaptation)

Did you feel the burn when she said "E"? XDDD The snubs and stubborn pride make this trope such a funny one to watch as they constantly battle for dominance and twit each other.

This rivalry lasts for five years of their schooling - they know the other is the only real competition for top grades in every subject. And yet threaded through it all is an underlying attraction too:

[x](https://clarkgriffon.tumblr.com/post/643581855423234048/anne-of-green-gables-the-sullivan-adaptation)

Which, of course, Anne insists is actually all-consuming hatred, although you can see early on that Gilbert has been trying to smooth things over ever since their unfortunate introduction via "Carrots" and a slate broken over his head. 

[x](https://stydixa.tumblr.com/post/177672191224/if-you-were-interested-in-gilbert-blythe-why)

It takes literally years (and a rescue from a pond) for Anne to stop begrudging him enough to become his friend.

[x](https://clarkgriffon.tumblr.com/post/645481957816467456/anne-of-green-gables-the-sullivan-adaptation)

Just look at how bitterly resigned she is to congratulating him at first! And then you can see "the ice [that had] entered her soul" finally melt when he apologizes for having to share top prize with him. From that point, they're friends and study companions, trying to help each other succeed instead, and then the relationship starts moving towards "lovers".

The younger redheaded girl/years of hatred/sharing a championship pattern bears a striking resemblance to Beth Harmon/Benny Watts in _The Queen's Gambit_ :  
  
  
[#petty](https://nrgburst.tumblr.com/post/641010545504534528/beth-harmon-touch-bonus)  
  
She calls him _BenNy WaTts_ because he's so insufferably cocky and condescending from the first time she meets him. And as reigning US champion, he actually maybe deserves all the accolades they give him and won't go down as easily in a match as she is accustomed to; they're both determined to win and almost equally skilled. Competitiveness, competence and just how much Losing to This Person In Particular Bothers Them is a big part of this trope because _the opposite of love isn't hate; it's indifference_. And the fact that they already arouse [so much](https://chewbacca.tumblr.com/post/640636495144828928/i-know-what-it-feels-like-to-lose-yeah-i-bet-you) emotion in the other is really telling, even if they don't see how similar they are at first.  
  
  
[Yeah just look at who is on the cover](https://arwenevenstar.tumblr.com/post/635542388818968576/chess-isnt-always-competitive-chess-can-also-be)\- she reads[ his book here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/d32639f5b3d7cd92b545714622c3f19a/eaaeed8be21524d9-c4/s540x810/80db56324521302f0df69a11a66ddfa8ff24aeaf.jpg) too.  
  
  
_The Queen's Gambit_ does this trope particularly well because it has Beth and Benny play each other multiple times both at regular chess and speed chess so they can humiliate each other repeatedly onscreen.  
  
  
[x  
](https://nrgburst.tumblr.com/post/637714863537438721/no-i-know-im-right-and-beth-sees-things-the-same)  
And if you aren't cackling with delight when Beth finally wipes _[that goddamn smirk](https://nrgburst.tumblr.com/post/640374136673337344/insufferably-smug-chess-cowboypirate-why-is-this) _off Benny's face and beats him at long last, you are probably not human: IT IS DELIGHTFUL. LOL But what is really awesome is how _gracious_ he is in defeat, similar to Gilbert up above. There's no expected toxically masculine tantrum - he's very sportsmanlike, and even offers to train Beth so she can hopefully go even further than he could. And that revelation is what allows Beth to concede that she may have misjudged his character as well.   
  
  
[x](https://mccartneyiii.tumblr.com/post/633803412775092224/the-queens-gambit-2020-dir-scott-frank)  
  
Obvious parallels between the characters help strengthen this trope too- for example, Benny says "I know I’m right and Beth sees things the same way I do." They _think_ the same way; often have similarities in their backstories (Beth and Benny were both child chess prodigies) and recognize what an excellent player the other is. So you can't help but wonder if they wouldn't be just as finely matched off the field as they are on it.  
  
  
[x](https://nrgburst.tumblr.com/post/638017956683644928/every-bait-and-switch-was-a-work-of-art)  
  
Plus, as mentioned earlier, THE TENSION makes the relationship inherently sexy. In a good Rivals to Lovers, the rivalry builds and builds, so that you are eagerly waiting for it to _finally_ snap- and it's all the more delightful when the characters realize things like, huh, maybe sex would be a better way to relieve all these feelings I have for this person.  
  
  
[x](https://logan-delos.tumblr.com/post/633138397355147264/do-you-still-like-my-hair)  
  
I think part of what makes it such a juicy trope is the built in conflict means that there is an inherent journey for both characters before they can accept that maaaaybe they make better romantic partners (and/or a team) than rivals. And as a GIFmaker, I love seeing that progressive change in how characters look at each other over time as rivalry changes to friendship and then attraction. _The Queen's Gambit_ takes it a meta step further too, and [consistently dresses Benny in black and Beth in white too -](https://nrgburst.tumblr.com/post/636575469483016192/benny-in-black-beth-in-white)\- like the two sides of a chess set, fated to be opposed-- before they realize that maybe they function better as a matched set in the end.  
  


* * *

  
  
So, I usually do recs in this part but TBH, these fics are often hard to find? Most people tag as the more generic _Enemies to Lovers,_ but here are a few I've found:

[ **It's a thin line (to where you are)**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29826363) (3504 words) by [**Umnonotoday**](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umnonotoday)  
Chapters: 1/1  
Fandom: [Anne with an E (TV)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Anne%20with%20an%20E%20\(TV\))  
Rating: General Audiences  
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply  
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley  
Characters: Gilbert Blythe, Anne Shirley  
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Gilbert is just really whipped, And he doesn't even know, Kinda sad in the middle, but a happy ending, Idiot's in love  
Summary:

Gilbert is sixteen years old and he hates Anne Shirley-Cuthbert.

Fond memories of her smile are a distant thing. Hope for her favor is gone. All that remains is barbed words and mocking smiles devoid of any kindness. Competition without camaraderie has been his persistent reality for all the years he's known Anne. Some days, the vehemence of her anger still surprises him. Knocks the air out of his lungs and tilts his equilibrium until he is unsure of his footing. Stumbling through heated arguments and stinging retorts.

\----------

He tries not to notice other things about her. Like the tilt of her head when she's focused on a problem. or the way she taps her fingers to a rhythm on her desk when she gets nervous. He especially doesn't take note of the different shades of red he can make her turn when he teases her, or the cute scrunch of her nose when Gilbert says something that she finds especially vexing. It's a million little things, the details he doesn't notice that are Anne in all her wild joyous glory.

\--------------------------------

Or rather, it's always a long road with these two. No matter the time period.

  
  
This Beth/Benny Spy AU is also a great example, but it is still a WIP and hasn't been updated in awhile.  
  
[**like it could be love**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28767582) (2920 words) by [**leahdaisies**](https://archiveofourown.org/users/leahdaisies)  
Chapters: 1/?  
Fandom: [The Queen's Gambit (TV)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/The%20Queen's%20Gambit%20\(TV\))  
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences  
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply  
Relationships: Beth Harmon/Benny Watts, Beth Harmon & Benny Watts, Beth Harmon & William Shaibel, Beth Harmon & Jolene & Benny Watts  
Characters: Beth Harmon, Benny Watts, William Shaibel, Jolene (The Queen's Gambit), Vasily Borgov, Cleo (The Queen's Gambit), Matt (The Queen's Gambit), Mike (The Queen's Gambit)  
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Undercover, Undercover as Married, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fake Marriage, Enemies to Friends to Lovers  
Summary:

Agent Beth Harmon is The Federation's golden girl, whip-smart and devastatingly good at infiltration and intel collection. Agent Benny Watts is the resident cowboy, charming and clever, and Beth's one and only equal in espionage.

They are total opposites, and they have always detested each other - until one day they are assigned their biggest mission yet; an undercover op to infiltrate an invitational weapons summit.

The only catch? Their cover is a deeply-in-love newlywed couple...

(Or, a Benny/Beth Spies AU.)

And here is a Jude/Cardan High School AU where they are rivals:

[ **Between the Two of Us**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26883808) (21401 words) by [**thewickedkings**](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewickedkings)  
Chapters: 10/15  
Fandom: [The Folk of the Air - Holly Black](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/The%20Folk%20of%20the%20Air%20-%20Holly%20Black)  
Rating: General Audiences  
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply  
Relationships: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar, Jude Duarte & Taryn Duarte, Jude Duarte & the Bomb, The Bomb/The Roach (The Folk of the Air), Taryn Duarte/Locke  
Characters: Jude Duarte, Cardan Greenbriar, The Bomb (The Folk of the Air), The Roach (The Folk of the Air), Taryn Duarte, Locke (The Folk of the Air), Vivienne Duarte, Nicasia (The Folk of the Air), The Ghost (The Folk of the Air)  
Additional Tags: Highschool AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Jude is oblivious as usual, and cardan is a pining idiot, Slow Burn, literally no angst except towards the end, super fluffy, feel good fic, this is so self-indulgent dont come for me lmao, the cruel prince - Freeform, the wicked king, the queen of nothing, jude duarte - Freeform, cardan greenbriar - Freeform, plot? we don't know her, there is literally no drama, probably because covid stressed me tf out, and now i just want easy happy fluff  
Summary:

Rivals Jude and Cardan are forced to partner up for a high school history project, and drama ensues.

  
Feel free to rec more fics (or more canon examples of this trope) in the comments! 

**Author's Note:**

> Original post for Snowflake Challenge was [ here](https://nrgburst.dreamwidth.org/148920.html) on my DW.


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